clikers on or off

i asked this last year but i forgot, i use clicker alot for flatheads, but, i get say a 2 second clikk, thn nothing, is that a big flathead, mouthing the bait, or a channel pecking, all my flats pulled my cliker out steady, but i do wander if wen you tightline your hookup ratio is higher sice you dont have to weght for the time to grab it and load the rod, so should them 1 second clikkes be ignored, or should i pick it up,

It really depends on the situation. Some nights the flats are just picking it up and dropping it. It gets frustrating getting 5 runs and no fish. I'll go to the smallest bait I have and hold my pole. Set it as soon as they touch it.

I never tightline for flats in pole holders. Even when I'm using the bluegill heads that do so well for me. I back the drag off enough so the flats can't pull it in.

my brother and I had the same situation on fri night. The bait was being teased with but with no runs. The hits on the line stopped and we ended up reeling our bait in and found both of our baits were bitten in half (white suckers) are tough to just cut in half. Our guess was a big flatty had bit them in half.

my brother and I had the same situation on fri night. The bait was being teased with but with no runs. The hits on the line stopped and we ended up reeling our bait in and found both of our baits were bitten in half (white suckers) are tough to just cut in half. Our guess was a big flatty had bit them in half.

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if it was bit in half probaly a gar ,musky a catfish would just smash it

I pull my lines tight, drag set so they can run, and clickers on. I also shine a red LED light on my rod tips so I can see that the line is tight and the rod is bowed slightly. With that light I can see if there is slack, if there is, there is a fish running me to shore.....clickers don't help if they move toward you ; )

YOU KNOW THATS RIGHT I HATE THAT,WIN THEY COME INTO U, WEN THEY DO THIS I NEVER GET A HOOK SET, ILL REEL IN AND REEL IN, UNTIL THEY HIT THE BANK AND , NOTHING, YOUD THINK BY THAT TIME THED SWALLOWED IT, BUT THEY DONT, MABY THERE SMALLER ONES BUT IM GONNA MAKE A POST ON THAT RIGHT NOW,

I prefer stiff rods and very sharp hooks. This way when they grab the bait and start off hopefully the hook will hang him when he pulls against the rod tension. If it's quick run the rod tension sets the hook, if it's slow tugging I set the hook. I don't like giving them the chance to run off and get snagged in cover or drop the bait. So far I've caught 6 Flathead this year using this method.

Often, when a big cat gets near the bait, they will become very excited, which may explain the short clicks. Just be patient; a lot of times, it seems, a flathead will hit the bait, then come back again. I often get a short steady pull-down, released, then a second, harder and steady, pull-down. That's when I reach for the rod. :smile2:

I PUT THE CLICKER ON WITH MY BIG PENN REEL BUT THE OTHER ONES I DON'T I HAVE A GOOD ROD HOLDER AND A BIG CIRCLE HOOK SO WHEN THEY TRY TO RUN 99% OF THE TIME THEY SET THE HOOKS THEIR SELF AND I JUST REEL THEM IN.

Man I don't know!!!! some times when I've fished two poles with baitclickers, and a spincast reel as my third pole, it seems that the spincast outfit will just get bent over and hit hard, and when my baitclicker poles get these little click click click short runs it freaking drives me crazy!!!!!!!oooh:

I DO BOTH NOW ONE, TIGHTLINED AND TWO WITH CLIKERS, SO FAR IVE NEVER GOT ONE TIGHTLINING, BUT I JUST STARTED DOING IT SO ILL FIND OUT, I SEE TO ADVATAGES OF BOTH, A CLIKER GIVES YOU FREDOM TO NOT LOOK AT YOUR ROD, ALSO, GIVES IT A CHANCE TO, GET THE BAIT WITHOUGHT RIPPING IT OFF, DISSADVATEG, U MIGHT MIS A LONG RUN BEFOR ENGAGING THE VREEL, SO I THINK ITS A TOSS UP, BUT MY GLOWRODS SO BRIGHT I DONT NEED TO LOOK AT IT, I CAN JUST SE IT FROM MY CORNER EYE

I DO BOTH NOW ONE, TIGHTLINED AND TWO WITH CLIKERS, SO FAR IVE NEVER GOT ONE TIGHTLINING, BUT I JUST STARTED DOING IT SO ILL FIND OUT, I SEE TO ADVATAGES OF BOTH, A CLIKER GIVES YOU FREDOM TO NOT LOOK AT YOUR ROD, ALSO, GIVES IT A CHANCE TO, GET THE BAIT WITHOUGHT RIPPING IT OFF, DISSADVATEG, U MIGHT MIS A LONG RUN BEFOR ENGAGING THE VREEL, SO I THINK ITS A TOSS UP, BUT MY GLOWRODS SO BRIGHT I DONT NEED TO LOOK AT IT, I CAN JUST SE IT FROM MY CORNER EYE

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Don't leave it in free spool then. I never do that, I set my drag correct and keep the spool engaged. All ya gotta do is pick it up and fight him.

If the spool not engaged you will either have to tighten your drag to fish with and then untighten it to cast. Or if you leave your drag alone in free spool you can have a fish spool you, come off when it feels the reel get engaged, or backlash you from a strong run.